“I Can Talk, You Know,” Hon. Ralph O’Neal says

“I sleep wake me not,” Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Ralph T. O’Neal announced in the House of Assembly on 12 February during the Other Business section of the sitting.

Hon. O’Neal made the comment in response to comments that were made by the Government that the previous Government left the Territory broke. Hon. O’Neal in addressing the gossip said: “I hear all the rumours and things — they are saying that the VIP aint leave no money. Well search me! Go to my bank, go ahead search, and see if I took the money,” Hon. O’Neal stated.

In firing back at the Government’s comment about the country being left broke, Hon. O’Neal declared: “I have never in my 40 years in the parliament of this country come in here or went on the air and broadcast that I aint find no money…not me. No one can say that I have done a thing like that because it is unethical.”

Hon. O’Neal announced that a government has to spend money to make sure they carry out their plans: “Why should I come in here to say –..them boys spend all the money, they aint leave a cent. They aint leave no money there. Madam Speaker I can’t deal with those kind of things because it is not part of my upbringing, and I try to keep my place; and I try to do what is right and proper.”

He added: “I want to make it clear, Madam Speaker that I remember we had a lesson in our primary school, and there was a picture of a big animal lying down asleep. Under that was written — I sleep wake me not. If that kind of things continues I would be awake, and I would not be afraid to say what I have to say. I can talk, you know, and I try not to speak out on certain things. I try to do a job, I think the Lord will give me faith, and courage to do what I am entrusted to do.”